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Peru, Potatoes and Leche de Tigre

By Peter Posert

The old 5th grade social studies textbook was covered with brown paper from a grocery store bag. I still remember it. Buried in the middle of the book was a picture of a cold high-mountain ledge, just a rugged rock outcropping, and a family of smallish smiling people with brightly colored hats and jackets, huddled around a fuzzy llama with a basket filled with bunch of colorful smooth pebbles. They weren’t pebbles at all, though. They were potatoes. “Potatoes come from Peru.” That’s what the book cheerily said. “Potatoes come from Peru.” We memorized it for the test. Llamas and potatoes and funny colored hats were the utilitarian lesson for us middle class American kids.

That utilitarian model was how we were taught to see the world. What can Peru make for ME? Cotton comes from Egypt. Vanilla comes from Madagascar. The whole world is there to make wonderful things for ME to buy in the store! Nobody questioned the philosophical or moral underpinnings of our consumer-driven upbringing. Is this even an appropriate way to understand life on the planet? One way to break through the utilitarian model is to actually experience a culture firsthand, to meet with the people as equals and see their joys, hear their music and of course, enjoy their foodstuffs. We should change the indoctrination from ME to them, or better, us! We are all pretty much the same in this world, striving for peace, prosperity and a better life and future. We all want happiness. It’s not just about the potatoes. We are curious for more. The story could have been about the family, the llamas or the children in the picture or how they are all connected in millennia of human achievement in Peru.

Peru is about 3 times the size of California. Like California, it has a tremendously varied topography, but the Peruvian landscape is more dramatic than ours. Peru boasts a rugged coastline to the west, high Andes peaks to the east, lush verdant valleys, tropical rainforests, and the headwaters of the Amazon River to the northeast.

The complexity of the Peruvian cuisine reflects the combined natural forces of the land and sea, as always a localized cuisine reflects its environment. The disparate Peruvian landscapes makes its combined food spectacular. This is exactly what our own daunted “California Cuisine” strives for. Hence Peruvian cuisine is worth an exploration beyond just being thankful for the potatoes in the store.

Now it is easy to experience and imagine the Peruvian culture and lifestyle through its cuisine. In the past year or so, not one, but two Peruvian restaurants have both popped up in Petaluma to join the fabulous Sazon of Santa Rosa. We now have three Peruvian cuisine destinations in our county.

A defining moment for the discerning palate is the entry point. From there, your meal is either going to go up or go down. But if the entry point gets your attention and holds it through the memory of a whole meal, then it’s a special type of food indeed. The Peruvian entry point has the potential to be one that is seared into the “thumbs up” memory in just this way. The Peruvian entry point is … ceviche! All three Peruvian restaurants in our midsts serve the dish, all with incredible ceviche trio-sampler formats.

Heres What the Tasting Gang Found

Ayawaska RestoBar

Trio de Ceviche: Seafood Medley Ceviche, Fish Ceviche,and Tuna Ceviche.

The Ceviche de Pescado (fish ceviche) is boldly acidic and bright, flourishing with lively lime-like tartness from the leche de tigre sauce and rich firm pieces of rockfish. On its own, it is a bold and spectacularly flavored dish.

The Seafood Medley Ceviche isn’t on the regular menu but it could be a stand-along dish, too. From tender-yet-chewy calamari to pieces of varied fishes, all marinated in a lively and hot vinaigrette, this is solid ceviche - the stuff of classic proportions and flavors - it’s the great basic dish.

The Ceviche de Atun Oriental (tuna ceviche) is rich, complex and at the same time delicately smooth on the palate. This ceviche brings home the tenderness of tuna. The addition of sesame seeds and oil enlivens the lingering finish. Soft, ripe, and delicious avocado enhances the creamy tuna texture.

This is a great dish. All three ceviches in one serving, along with a Pisco sour at the jumping and lively bar, make for a great time at the newest Peruvian place. There is a lot of fun to be had at Ayawaska RestoBar.

101 Second St. #190, Petaluma

707-559-3519 | ayawaskasf.com

Sazon

You Pick em’ Trio: Ceviche Mango, Ceviche Mixto, & Ceviche Verde

1129 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa (707) 523-4346 | sazonsr.com

Quinua Cocina Peruana

Trio Marino, $24.00. Ceviche de Pescado, Ceviche Mixto, Leche de Tigre.

Quinua is a lovely neighborhood restaurant just down the street from downtown. Lively music plays quietly, there are plenty of romantic two-top-tables and some larger formats as well. The trio platter starts with Ceviche de Pescado which carries a subtle, mild vibrancy. This dish is so delicious without the often bracing tinge of acidity of so many other ceviches, like a beginners first step that everyone will be enamored with as well. The Ceviche Mixto is the classic dish with a variety of seafoods, bold and lively citrus tones and lots of different textures to enjoy. The Leche de Tigre is a wonderful and surprising take on the a traditional dish that is worth the trip to explore. One gets the sense of the excitement and vibrancy of the Peruvian cuisine scene in a small, personal, neighborhood place like Quinua.

500 Petaluma Blvd South, Petaluma (707) 981-7359 | quinuacocinaperuana.com

You can read about Peru in a textbook. You can explore the cuisine firsthand right here in Sonoma County now too. All this ceviche had me wondering enough to look something up on online. Right now, in February, with about two weeks notice, a roundtrip no-frills tickets to sunshine and adventure in Peru can be had from San Francisco to Lima for about $600. I’m thinking about it. After a visit to one of our local Peruvian restaurants, you will be thinking about it too.

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